Lampard was a key figure for Mourinho during his trophy-laden spell in west London from 2004-2007 and the 34-year-old Blues all-time leading scorer would clearly relish the chance to link-up with his old boss again.

‘I’ve had really good managers and different managers at times. It’s the ones that get the best out of you, individually.

‘We’re all human beings and if a manager doesn’t talk to you and tell you what they want or whether they’re happy with you… we’ve all got confidence that is up and down.

‘Mourinho was the best. For me he was. He brought my confidence to a level it had never been.’

Asked what makes Mourinho so good, Lampard told TalkSPORT: ‘It’s a presence and an aura and a way with people.

Old pals: Lampard and Mourinho celebrate a Blues win (Picture: Getty)

‘He galvanises people. His own self-confidence reflects back on his teams. He did that to me personally.

‘Tactically he’s fantastic. He’s very astute. As a team he sets you up brilliantly.

‘But what he does is he gets the best out of players and gets this togetherness that I’d never known until he came to the club and I haven’t seen it again since then.

‘He might rub people up the wrong way. [But] as a manager, he’s brilliant with his team, tactically, he’s brilliant with individuals and I think he’s brilliant with the press. I know it creates a storm, but he does protect his players.’